1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Pete Hegseth must be removed as Secretary of Defense. The generals are warning us. Admiral William McRaven, who oversaw the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, has said that Hegseth's removal of accomplished senior officers means "the chance for military miscalculation will grow dramatically." Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who served under both parties, described the Pentagon under Hegseth as having "a climate of fear like I've never seen before." These are not partisan attacks. They are warnings from people who understand what military failure actually looks like. Senior officers have been purged. Promotion lists have been interfered with. Experienced commanders have been removed from positions of responsibility. Hegseth publicly attacked a Canadian cadet instructor and a 17-year-old at a summer training camp. This is not reform. It is institutional vandalism driven by grievance, ideological conformity, and personal loyalty tests that have no place in a fighting force. America's military is not weak. Its civilian leadership is. You voted to confirm him. You were warned about his qualifications, temperament, and judgment, and you voted yes anyway. Advice and consent is a constitutional responsibility, not a formality. Own what that vote has produced — and use every tool available to you now to demand accountability, hold oversight hearings, and push for his removal. The bill is coming due, and the cost will be measured in lives.